The genesis of the craze: The Japanese “Gacha” mentality
Have you ever heard the word “Galápagos Syndrome“? Wikipedia defines it as a phenomenon where companies become overly specialized in developing products for the domestic market. This happens frequently in Japan—and my first example is not our furniture, but Japanese kids’ snacks.
More than 30 years ago, when I was a kid, a particular chocolate snack was hugely popular. To be precise, what we kids were truly crazy about were the stickers included in the snack. The popularity was so intense: the snack was released every Saturday but consistently sold out by the evening.
The reason for the massive craze was simple: the hit-or-miss system. There were beautiful hologram stickers called “head stickers” that every kid desperately wanted. As you can imagine, the head stickers were rare—one box contained 40 packs of the snack, with only one holding a head sticker.
Since we didn’t know the contents, and because of the enormous demand (limited to three packs per person), we kids would rush to convenience stores every Saturday. I imagine the store clerks must have been terribly annoyed. We would crowd around the box, talking loudly: “This one must include a head sticker because I feel like it’s slightly heavier!” “No, no. I heard the rumor that the winning pack is always placed in the lower right corner!” I believe this childhood fervor for the rare prize was the true genesis of the Galápagos-ization in Japanese consumer culture.
From local confectionery to global capsule toy
This illustrates a unique Japanese phenomenon: what truly attracts consumers, especially kids, is often not the candy or snack itself, but the associated prize, card, sticker, or toy. This is the background against which the Japanese confectionery and toy industries have evolved uniquely.
Speaking of unique toys, this brings us to another “Galápagos” product: the capsule toy. Capsule toys were invented in the US in the 1930s and imported to Japan in the 1960s. Since then, they have become a persistent fad, known locally as “Gacha” or “Gacha-pon” (an onomatopoeia for the sound the machine makes).
The design breakthrough: The leftover coin strategy
Some years ago, a major Japanese advertising agency brought about a quiet revolution in the Gacha industry. They began installing massive Gacha spots in Japan’s international airports, as shown in the image above. Their target customers were foreign tourists.
When I first saw Gacha at the airport, I didn’t understand the strategy. Out of curiosity, I looked around the spot and found the words that instantly made everything clear. The signboard read: “Take advantage of your leftover JPY coins!”
I completely understood. I travel abroad often, and foreign coins are always a headache—we can’t easily calculate their worth, and they inevitably clutter our wallets. Statistics show the annual amount of JPY coins leaving Japan is about USD 2 billion. This was a brilliant observation. Furthermore, this move created a fantastic secondary effect: Gacha machines require no power source and can operate around the clock. In international airports, there are always travelers waiting with too much free time, especially late at night when most shops are closed.
The power of empathy: Making the world a little better
I believe this is the true power of design: The marketers and designers demonstrated empathy by noticing and responding to a universal, yet hidden, market need—the problem of awkward foreign coins.
By solving this simple logistical problem, they provided unexpected fun for travelers and recovered vast amounts of currency. By the power of design, Galápagos-ization shifts to Globalization, making the world a little better. In fact, this project was recognized with the Good Design Award in 2018.
For your information, Asahikawa Airport (the airport nearest our factory) also features the same Gacha spot. When you come here, please try the Gacha and use up all your leftover JPY coins! It’s a great way to participate in a global design success.
Photo credit: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000057.000009185.html
Shungo Ijima
He is travelling around the world. His passion is to explain Japan to the world, from the unique viewpoint accumulated through his career: overseas posting, MBA holder, former official of the Ministry of Finance.